Shoulder and forearm exercise device

ABSTRACT

A device that exercises the shoulder and forearm is disclosed. The device is fabricated with a handle attached to a square tubular shaft that telescopes in and out over a smaller square tubular shaft. The smaller tubular shaft is attached to a round shaft with a sprocket attached. A first link of a small length of linked chain is attached to a tooth of the sprocket. A second link of the linked chain is attached to a first end of a wire cable. The wire cable passes under one pulley, then up and over two other pulleys and then is removably attached to one or more weights. By adjusting the total weight of the weights, the resistance of the device is controlled. By grasping the handle and turning it clockwise or counterclockwise, a person exercises the shoulder and/or forearm.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

The present application may include subject matter related to one ormore of the following commonly-owned United States patent applications,each of which was filed on even date herewith, claims the benefit of,and is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety: U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/339555, filed Mar. 6, 2010.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to exercise devices. Moreparticularly, it relates to devices that assist in exercising theshoulder and forearm.

BACKGROUND

Use of the shoulders and forearms for throwing and lifting plays aprominent role for athletes and the rest of the active population. Oftenthe shoulder is injured, and remedial treatment is required. Even forhealthy athletes, strengthening the shoulder muscles is desirable.Shoulder muscle strengthening usually involves a series of structuredexercises designed to strengthen the muscle group associated with theshoulder joint. Such exercises often use apparatus that assist inshoulder muscle strengthening.

Many exercise devices exist and are described in prior art patentpublications and found in commercially available products that aredesigned to assist in the shoulder muscle strengthening exercises. Oftenthese devices are large complex pieces of equipment that are expensiveto produce, are not portable, and have limited use in the home.Therefore, there is a need for a simple device that is portable,inexpensive to produce, and assist in the execution of strength-trainingshoulder and forearm exercises for the home exerciser.

SUMMARY

The shoulder and forearm exercise device of the present invention has ahandle that is attached to a square tubular shaft that telescopes in andout over a smaller square tubular shaft attached to a round shaft. Thesquare tubular shaft, the smaller square tubular shaft, and the roundshaft are positioned vertically relative to the floor. A sprocket isattached near the bottom of the round shaft. The round shaft goesthrough the center of the sprocket with the sprocket rotational axiscoinciding with the longitudinal axis of the round shaft. A tooth of thesprocket is rotationally attached to a small length of linked chain at afirst end of the linked chain. Attached to a second end of the linkedchain is a first end of a wire cable. The wire cable passes under afirst pulley, then up and over a second and a third pulley, and thendown. The second end of the wire cable is removably attached to one ormore free hanging weights. The shafts, pulleys, and wire cable areinstalled in a simple frame. Weights may be added or subtracted toprovide a variable selection of resistance. A person, grasping thehandle and turning it clockwise or counterclockwise, may work theposterior or anterior muscles of the musculotendinous cuff or thesupinator or pronator muscles of the radioulnar joints. By holding thehandle and not rotating it, a person may stretch these muscles. In oneembodiment, the shoulder and forearm device may be positionedfreestanding on the floor. In an alternative embodiment, the shoulderand forearm device may be mounted on a wall. In either embodiment, theperson may sit in a chair and use the device, or may use the devicewhile standing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the first embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a person using the first embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 5A is a perspective detail view of the sprocket, linked chain andwire cable of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5B is a further detail view of the sprocket and linked chain.

FIG. 5C is a detailed perspective view of the sprocket and linked chainwhen rotated clockwise.

FIG. 5D is a perspective view of the linked chain connected to the wirecable of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the wire cable removably connected to aweight.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the presentinvention mounted on a wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, the terms top, bottom, left and rightrefer to the figure where each reference applies. The same numeral isused to denote the same part in different views. If more than onesimilar part occurs in a figure, only one part may have a numeralpointing to it.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a first embodiment 100 of thepresent invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the embodiment shown inFIG. 1. FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded view of first embodiment 100 ofthe present invention. Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, first embodiment100 is comprised of a handle 102 attached to a first square tubularshaft 104 that telescopes in and out over a smaller second squaretubular shaft 106. Second square tubular shaft 106 is permanentlyattached to a round shaft 108. Round shaft 108 passes through center of,and is attached to, a sprocket 110 such that the rotational axis ofsprocket 110 is perpendicular to longitudinal axis of round shaft 108. Atooth 140 of sprocket 110 is rotationally attached to a first link 142of a small length of a linked chain 112. The sprocket 110 and linkedchain 112 are of the type similar to that used in a bicycle. At a secondlink 152 of linked chain 112, a wire cable 114 is attached. Wire cable114 passes under a first pulley 116, up and over a second pulley 118 andover and down a third pulley 120. Wire cable 114 is removably attachedto one or more weights 122 at a wire cable second end 158. The threepulleys 116, 118, and 120, are each rotationally mounted on a pulleyaxial round shaft 124 that is attached to first side 128A and secondside 128B of frame 126 such that pulleys may rotate freely. By graspinghandle 102 and turning it clockwise or counterclockwise, a personexperiences a resistance caused by weights 122. By adjusting the totalpoundage of the weights 122 being used, a person may exercise theposterior or anterior muscles of the musculotendinous cuff or thesupinator or pronator muscles of the radioulnar joints. By holdinghandle 102 and not rotating it, a person may stretch these muscles.

Frame 126 is operationally coupled with the pulleys and shafts. Frame126 is comprised of a first side 128A, a second side 128B, a supportmember 132, a bottom member 134, and a top member 130. Support member132 has a vertical socket 136 that accepts round shaft 108 belowsprocket 110 and permits round shaft 108 to rotate in it. Top member 130has a vertical hole 138 that accepts first square tubular shaft 104 andpermits first square tubular shaft 104 to rotate. Support member 132 hasa rectangular shape and is attached to bottom member 134. Bottom member134 has a rectangular shape and is attached to first side 128A andsecond side 128B. Frame 126 has a preferable length of 12 inches, aheight of 18 inches, and a width of 6 inches.

FIG. 5A illustrates a detail of FIG. 3. FIGS. 5B, 5C, and 5D illustratefurther details of FIG. 5A. Referring to FIG. 5A, sprocket 110 issecurely attached to round shaft 108 with round shaft 108 going throughcenter of sprocket 110. Round shaft 108 is rotationally supported by avertical socket 136 positioned in support member 132. Round shaft 108,vertical socket 136 and vertical hole 138 are sized and configured suchthat round shaft 108 rotates slidingly clockwise and counterclockwisewithin vertical hole 138 and vertical socket 136, while round shaft 108is held in an upright position.

Referring to FIGS. 5B and 5C, tooth 140 of sprocket 110 is rotationallyattached to a first link 142 located on linked chain 112 using a firstpin 146. When sprocket 110 rotates in a clockwise direction 148, linkedchain 112 engages teeth 144 of sprocket 110, pulling linked chain 112forward and towards left. When sprocket 110 rotates in acounterclockwise direction 149, linked chain 112 engages teeth 145 ofsprocket 110, pulling wire cable first end 154 backwards and towardsleft. In either case, second link 152 and wire cable first end 154 arepulled towards left. This movement results in lifting weight 122.

Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5C, second link 152, located on linked chain112 is attached to wire cable first end 154 using a crimping clamp 156passing through a second pin 147 located on second link 152.

Referring to FIG. 6, wire cable second end 158 has attached a swivel bar160 that fits through a cylindrical hole 162 located in center of weight122. Swivel bar 160 allows weights to be added and removed at wire cablesecond end 158, thereby adjusting resistance.

First embodiment 100 may be mounted on a wall 164 in addition to beingplaced on a floor 166. FIG. 7 illustrates a wall mount. Bottom member134 is mounted vertically on wall 164 such that frame 126 is rotated 90degrees relative to floor mounted position illustrated in FIG. 1.Tubular shaft 104 is horizontal when first embodiment 100 is mounted onwall 164.

A person may use the invention as follows. He or she sits in a chairnext to the shoulder and forearm exercise device and adds a set amountof weights to the device. FIG. 4 illustrates this position. The persongrasps handle 102 and rotates it. The weights cause a resistance,thereby exercising the shoulder and/or forearm muscles. By adjusting theamount of weights mounted on the device, the resistance may be varied.Alternately the person may hold the handle while it is rotated a givenamount, causing the muscles to be stretched. Other alternate uses of theinvention are possible. For example, the person may stand up while usingthe invention, and the invention may be mounted on a wall, and used thatway as illustrated in FIG. 7.

The first embodiment presented herein illustrates one way ofimplementing the inventive concept. Alternate implementations areconsidered to be within the inventive concept of the present invention.For example, the vertically positioned rectangular, tubular telescopingshafts may be replaced by other mechanisms such as ellipticaltelescoping cylinders. The telescoping feature may be omitted. Thesprocket, linked chain, and wire cable mechanism may be replaced by apulley that is horizontally mounted on the vertical shaft, with the wirecable first end attached to the horizontally mounted pulley in a mannersuch that rotation of the horizontally mounted pulley translates tomotion of the cable. The wire cable may be replaced by any othermechanism that performs an equivalent function as the wire cable, suchas a nylon cable, a chain or a rope. The vertical hole 138 and verticalsocket 136 may be augmented with bearings or other devices thatfacilitate rotation. Therefore, the first embodiment of the presentinvention is to be considered as only illustrative of the presentinvention and not a limitation of the scope of the present invention.Various permutations, combinations, variations, and extensions of thecomponents of the first embodiment are considered to fall within thescope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of this shoulderand forearm exercise device may be determined with respect to the claimsand not just by the embodiment presented.

1. A shoulder and forearm exercise device comprising; a frame; at leastone shaft rotatably attached to the frame; a handle, the handle attachedto at least one shaft; a cable, the cable having a cable first end and acable second end; at least one weight, the weight removably attached tothe cable second end; a means for operationally coupling the cable, theshaft and the weight such that when at least one weight is attached tothe cable second end, then rotation of the handle translates to rotationof at least one shaft, which translates to a linear motion of the cablefirst end which translates to a vertical motion the cable second endthereby translating rotation of the handle to resistance caused by theattached weights.
 2. The shoulder and forearm exercise device of claim 1wherein the frame further comprises: a first side; a second side; asupport member; a bottom member; and a top member.
 3. A shoulder andforearm exercise device comprising: a frame; a handle; a firstrectangular tubular member having a first rectangular tubular memberfirst end and a first rectangular tubular member second end; a handle,the handle attached to the first rectangular tubular member first end; asecond rectangular tubular member having a second rectangular tubularmember first end and a second rectangular tubular member second end,such that the second rectangular tubular member first end fits insidethe first rectangular tubular member second end such that the secondrectangular tubular member telescopes inside the first rectangulartubular member; a round shaft having a round shaft first end, a roundshaft second end, and a longitudinal axis such that the round shaftfirst end is permanently attached to the second rectangular tubularmember second end; a sprocket, the sprocket having a rotational axis,the sprocket additionally comprising a plurality of teeth, the sprocketis attached to the round shaft such that the sprocket rotational axis iscentered and positioned such that it coincides with the longitudinalaxis of the round shaft; a linked chain having a linked chain first endand a linked chain second end, the linked chain first end rotationallyattached to a tooth of the sprocket; a wire cable having a wire cablefirst end and a wire cable second end, the wire cable first end attachedto linked chain second end; a first pulley, a second pulley and a thirdpulley; at least one weight, wherein the wire cable passes under thefirst pulley, over the second pulley, over the third pulley, and isremovably attachable to the weight, wherein the first, second and thirdpulleys are rotationally attached to the frame, the round shaft beingrotationally attached to the frame; wherein when the handle is rotatedin a first rotational direction, the sprocket pulls the linked chainwhich pulls the wire cable which lifts the weight, thereby causing aresistance on the handle, and wherein when the handle is turned in asecond rotational direction, the sprocket pulls the linked chain whichpulls the wire cable which lifts the weight thereby causing a resistanceon the handle.
 4. The shoulder and forearm exercise device of claim 1wherein the frame further comprises: a first side; a second side; asupport member; a bottom member; and a top member.
 5. The shoulder andforearm exercise device of claim 5 wherein the support member has avertical socket, the vertical socket being configured to accept theround shaft below the sprocket and permit the round shaft to rotatewithin the vertical socket.
 6. The shoulder and forearm exercise deviceof claim 5 wherein the top member has a vertical aperture that acceptsthe first rectangular tubular member and permits first rectangulartubular member to rotate.
 7. The shoulder and forearm exercise device ofclaim 5 wherein the support member is attached to the bottom member. 8.The shoulder and forearm exercise device of claim 5 wherein the bottommember is attached to the first side and the second side.
 9. Theshoulder and forearm exercise device of claim 4 wherein the round shaft,the vertical socket, and the vertical aperture are configured such thatthe round shaft slidingly rotates clockwise and counterclockwise withinthe vertical aperture and the vertical socket while the round shaft isheld in an upright position.
 10. The shoulder and forearm exercisedevice of claim 4 wherein the tooth of the sprocket is rotationallyattached to the linked chain first end by a first pin.
 11. The shoulderand forearm exercise device of claim 4 wherein rotating the sprocket ina clockwise direction causes the linked chain to engage the tooth of thesprocket and to pull the linked chain forward and to the left.
 12. Theshoulder and forearm exercise device of claim 4 wherein rotating thesprocket in a counterclockwise direction causes the linked chain toengage the tooth of the sprocket and to pull the wire cable first endbackwards and to the left.
 13. The shoulder and forearm exercise deviceof claim 4 wherein a second link is attached to the wire cable first endusing a crimping clamp, wherein the second link is located on the linkedchain, wherein the crimping clamp passes through a second pin, whereinthe second pin is located on the second link.
 14. The shoulder andforearm exercise device of claim 4 wherein the wire cable second end isattached to a swivel bar, wherein the swivel bar fits through acylindrical aperture, wherein the cylindrical aperture is located in acenter of the weight.
 15. The shoulder and forearm exercise device ofclaim 15 wherein the swivel bar is configured to allow the weight to beadded and removed at the wire cable second end.
 16. A method of using ashoulder and forearm exercise device comprising: sitting in a chair nextto the shoulder and forearm device; adding a set amount of weight to theshoulder and forearm exercise device; and grasping and rotating ahandle, wherein the rotation causes the weight to create resistance. 17.The method of using a shoulder and forearm exercise device of claim 17further comprising: adjusting the set amount of weight mounted on theshoulder and forearm exercise device to vary the resistance.